Safety-guard for printing-machines.



L. E. MORRISON;

SAFETY GUARD FOR PRINTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. I8. I914.

'm ggal/ifm um V Patented Oct. 26, 1915.

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LEWIS E. MORRISON, 0F NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNO'R TO HUMANA COMPANSZ 'Z- A CORPORATION OF NEW JERS'EYr SAFETY-GUARD FOR PRINTING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented'Uct. 26, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be it'known that I, LEWIS E. MORRISON, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Newark, Essex county. New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety-Guards for Printing-Machines, of which the following.

isa specification.

This invention relates to improvements in safety guards for printing machines and the object of the invention is to provide a safety guard particularly well adapted for use on a platen press, cutting, embossing or other machine constructed and operated on the principle of a Universal jobbing press, which comprises a stationary jaw or form member and a movable jaw or platen adapted to rock on the frame of the machine and to slide thereon and whereby the final move ment of the platen or movable jaw causes a square impact of impression as distinguished from other types of platen presses having a hinged or clam shell movement of the platen.

While this invention will be described and is illustrated in combination with a Universal press, it is obvious that it is applicable to other kinds of machines operated in the same or a similar manner. I

The invention is therefore embodied in a safety guard adapted to be easily and quickly secured to the machine without requiring any changes in the construction thereof and comprises such parts and elements, arranged and combined as hereinafter set forth and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a side view showing a portion of a Universal platen press in closed position and equipped with a safety guard embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the press open and Fig. 3 is a detail view illustrating the construction of the guard.

A Universal press comprises, so far as this disclosure is concerned, a frame or bed 1 having a fixed jaw or form member 2 and slideways 3. Upon the latter rocks and slides the movable jaw or platen 4 by means of the rockers 5. The platen 4: and the rock-' ers 5 are hereinafter referred to as the platen. The platen is operated by drawbars 6, one on each side of the machine. As the drawbars are operated from the usual crank disks, gears. or other similar means, not shown, the platen is first rocked on the slideways 3 and thereafter moved squarely against the form member 2 in which manner the press is closed as shown-in Fig. 1. Continuing the movement'of the drawbars opens the press as shown in Fig. 2. The brief description of the operation of a Universal press is suflicient for persons skilled in the art to understand this invention.

It is obvious that in feedin the paper to be printed, or other materia to be acted upon by the machine, there is great danger of the operators hand being caught as the press closes, and it is therefore the object of this invention to provide a guard for forcibly moving the operators hand away from the platen as the press closes. The construction and operation of the guard is also so arranged that it does not present any obstructions to the operators work. Only one side of the press and the guard is shown as the construction is alike on both sides of the machine.

The guard comprises a hand lifting cross bar 8, somewhat longer than the width of the platen. 4, and two side bars 9 carrying said cross bar.' The side bars pass freely through guides or brackets 10 swiveled or pivoted to the'platen at 11. To the lowerend of each of the side bars there is pivoted a movable stop member pivoted at 17 to the operating lever 13 and which movable stop slides on and cooperates with the fixed stop member 15 for which purpose the member 16 is provided with a slot 18. As the press opens the guard bar 8 is moved with the platen, downwardly to the front, or the right in the drawing, thereby lifting the pivot 12 and oscillating the operating lever 13 until the movable stop member 16 co-acting with the fixed stop member 15 prevents further movement of the lever 13. The movement of the platen continuing into full open position brings the guard bar into the position shown in Fig. 2 in which it will be observed, the bar is down very close to the upper edgeof the platen and does not obstruct the operators actions in removing the printed sheet from the platen and feeding a fresh sheet thereto.

On the closing movement of the platen it is obvious that the guard bar 8 remains in practically the same position as that shown in Fig. 2 during the earlier part of the closing movement or until the stop member 16 has been moved up to the limit of the slot 18. Further movement of the platen brings the guard bar rearward and'at the same time raises it over the platen into the final position shown in Fig. 1. Consequently 'the hand lifting bar 8 has been moved across the position of the operators hand, moving the latter out of danger.

In order to prevent the operator from thrusting his hand in between the guard bar and the platen there is provided a guarding member or sheet of canvas 19 secured to the guard bar 8 and to a rod or bar 20 fixed in the guides or brackets 10 and which obviously prevents the operator from reaching in over the platen below the guard bar. If

desired the rod 20 may be a spring shade.

variations in structure as properly come within the principle of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a printing press or similar machine the combination with a platen, of a hand lifting guard pivoted on the latter, guard operating means pivoted on the platen and to the said guard; a fixed stop secured to the frame of the machine, a movable stop lever connected to said operating means and provided with a slot adapted to cooperate with said fixed stop for controlling the movements of said operating means.

2. In a printing press or similar machine the combination with a platen, of a hand lifting guard comprising a cross bar and two side bars, guides pivoted on said platen for the said side bars, operating levers pivoted to the latter and to the said platen and controlling mechanism for said operating levers comprising fixed stops on the frame of the machine and stop levers slidably mounted on said fixed stops and connected to said operating levers.

3. In a printing press or similar machine the combination with a platen, of a hand lifting guard comprising a cross bar and two side bars, guides pivoted to said platen for the said side bars, a rod connecting the said guides, a flexible guarding member connected to the said rod and the said cross bar, operating levers for said side bars pivoted on the said platen and controlling mechanism for said operating levers comprising fixed stops on the frame of the machine and stop levers slidably mounted on said fixed stops and connected to said operating levers.

Signed at Newark, N. J this 16th day of December, 1914.

LEWIS E. MORRISON. 

